


Our Frontier

by carrowmetohell



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, The infamous bikini
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-28 22:24:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13281102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrowmetohell/pseuds/carrowmetohell
Summary: Leia and Han post-sarlacc pit.The scene they never had with the bikini and Leia's aftercare of Han following emergence from carbon freeze.Part 1 posted.





	Our Frontier

Leia reached up for the metal collar at her throat with hesitant fingers, almost as if touching it made it real. _Of course, it’s real_ , she snapped internally, dismissive of her own thoughts. Leia had accepted that fact when she laid on Jabba’s throne and she would damn well accept it now that she was home- back on the Falcon. Since when had the Falcon been her home? 

Her home was gone. 

The Falcon was just a means to an end. A stop gap location that could get her where she needed to be. It was Han's home; well Han and Chewie's home she supposed. If Leia closed her eyes for long enough, she could still remember what her bedroom at the Palace used to look like. The memory brought no comfort to her now.

The shackle was heavy and cold against her bare skin. Remarkably different from how scalding it had been on Tatooine. Back on that desert _waste_ of a planet the collar had been hot enough to burn her skin and leave angry red marks in its wake. It had hurt her, and she wanted it gone. 

But the damn thing was bolted on; intricately fixed to her current Palace sponsored attire. It would take more than a wish to take the infernal thing off and she just didn’t have the time. 

Right now, Han needed her. After all, this was supposed to be his rescue. She could almost hear him chuckling in her ear, telling her that this wasn’t how princess stories were supposed to go. She really wished he was telling her that. It would be far better than seeing how fragile he looked leant against her and stumbling. 

Well this whole thing really really wasn’t how rescues were supposed to be. Leia's attempt to free Han, while noble in intention, had hardly been a textbook victory. It had been a complete farce. But it had all worked out in the end. Whenever Han, Leia and Luke were together, events had a habit of working out for the better.

They were all free again. Leia wondered for a moment how long it would last this time. The young princess had spent a lot of time within the confines of a cell over the last few years, but every time she’d been caught she’d been freed or escaped, she’d come back with a new resolve to fight. 

Supporting more of Han’s weight than she would like to, Leia tried her best to bring him into the medical wing. She cleared the thoughts from her mind to focus on the task at hand. She grunted, leaning into the banister as she half dragged him up the last few steps they had to take. Breathing heavily, she pushed the door release, barely managing to not fall into the room once it opened. 

“Where’s Chewie?” Han asked, wondering why Leia had been left alone to lug his half useless carcass to the Falcon’s meagre sick bay. He could feel her strain with the effort, but try as he might he was unable to take his own weight. 

“Lando needs him to co-pilot.” The answer came with a gentle voice, but it wasn’t quite as informative as he had hoped it to be. Han was certain Lando could get the Falcon up and running without his furry friend but he definitely knew Chewie could certainly get her up and running alone. So that meant something was wrong…

Lando had done something to his damn ship.

Inwardly groaning Han made a mental note to ask the wookie about it later. “Well why isn’t Lando helping?” Han pressed, tone inching on irritated. He hated that he couldn’t just waltz into the cockpit himself and take proper charge of his ship.

“Lando didn’t want to tell you right now.”

“Tell me what?”

“Can we just get you inside?” Leia snapped, “this is enough of a chore as it is without the interrogation.”

“Almost seems like you want to get me alone, Princess.” He shot her what he hoped was a roguish grin, rounding it off with a wink. At least he thought he winked. It made little difference to his level of vision. That really wasn’t a good sign. 

Leia’s stony silence told him to knock it off while they got him across the room and onto the sickbed. She lay his arm over her shoulders and grunted again, heaving him forward with pained steps. Han’s hand snaked down her back and his jaw dropped in surprise.

“What are you wearing?” Han mumbled, fingers ghosting the naked skin on her back. She was glad he couldn’t see her. It had been humiliating enough having Luke find her like this. She’d felt cheap and devalued. Exactly how the Hutt had wanted her to feel. Thoughts of that vile slug made her skin crawl and blood boil. She could see herself pulling her chain against his fat neck again.

“New alliance uniform. It keeps troop moral high.” She quipped.

Han smirked, that was his girl. He didn’t quite know what she was wearing but he knew it wasn’t much. Still, Leia’s spirit was unbreakable. His admiration of her was interrupted when she pushed him onto the bed. Han landed on his backside with more force than he had expected. “Hey!” He complained, reaching for her.

Leia hadn’t realised her hands were shaking until Han’s closed around her own. “You alright?” He asked, concern colouring his tone his irritation at being pushed melting away. His eyes didn’t quite meet her gaze but that didn’t diminish the heartfelt expression they carried. Tears pricked at her eyes for a moment before she composed herself.

“Of course.” She replied, voice rough and scratchy a direct result from the way that damn slug had dragged her across the floor, like an animal, to his side. He frowned, and she could tell he didn’t believe her. 

“Did he hurt you?” Han’s voice was softer than Leia had ever heard it. 

“I’m not wounded.” She answered, wetting her lips as she considered her words. It was mostly true, her injuries were minor. “We are in the sick bay for you.” She reminded, but Han was certain she was neglecting the question. He’d cover this with her later. Han had to know what that sick creep had done to her. The guilt was tearing him up but he would listen when she was ready. Han squeezed her hands in a reassuring manner. That was the least he could offer her for now.

“You just came out of carbon freeze and you didn’t get the medical attention you should have once you were free.” Leia added before pausing for a moment. “I am sorry about that Han. Things were meant to be different.” The apology was heart felt, genuine. He could almost feel the warmth and affection wash through him. He could often feel the words Leia conveyed in a way he couldn’t explain. It was as if she touched his heart when she spoke sometimes. 

Han waved his hands in a dismissive fashion, straightening up on the sick bed. “They were.” He could feel the heavy cloud of disappointment consume her. “But not for the reason you think.” It was her turn to quirk an eyebrow, but he elaborated no more and she didn’t question the point.

A moment of silence passed between them before Leia spoke again. 

“Let’s see about your eyes.” She muttered. 

Han strained his ears, listening to her patter away from him to the far wall of the sick bay. He heard a cabinet door slide open followed by an assortment of items crash out onto the floor and Leia. At least he assumed some of it had hit her judging by the flurry of curses she’d let loose. That or Leia was really in a foul mood.

He heard her come back to him and he reached out lamely for her. She faltered for a moment as his strong hands closed around her wrists. “It’s going to be alright now.” She assured him, stepping closer towards him before sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Lean back Han.” She instructed, pushing his head back with a mother’s gentle touch before tilting his chin up. “Try to keep your eyes open.” 

She administered the drops and he didn’t utter a single complaint. “Blink until you feel a tingle and then I’ll give you the second round of drops. Your eyesight should be coming back to you within the next ten minutes. You might have a few odd blurry shapes cross your vision over the next couple of days, but they’ll pass.” 

“You know a lot about this.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to read up on it. You've been gone a long time.” The admission weighed heavily on them both.

Han hissed suddenly, jerking in the sickbed. “I thought you said it would only tingle!”

“It’s supposed to-” she fell silent under his gaze. Some of his vision must have returned. Leia moved, tilting his head back but he pulled away.

“Oh Leia.” He whispered. 

Leia winced under his gaze. He looked like he felt sorry for her. It was an expression she had never expected to see on his face. Especially considering what had happened to him.

“Don’t. I need to give you the drops.”

“Leia-”

“Han.” She urged, unamused. 

Leia knew exactly what it was to be a prisoner. She’d suffered the rations, the cold, the torture and the boredom. She had never been a possession before. The collar around her neck was a cruel reminder of her place in Jabba’s palace. She was happy that she killed him. She just didn't want to talk about it right now.

Han’s fingers ghosted the flesh at her neck. He noticed her grimace at his touch, even with his blurred vision. “Want me to try and take it off?” He asked, forcing himself not to call her Princess. He wasn’t sure if he should have said it, just to keep things light and normal. He just knew the word would have felt like lead in his mouth.

“Han you can barely see as it is.”

“Oh, I can see plenty, Princess.”

She paled, and he instantly felt guilt claw his stomach. Suddenly he wasn’t nauseous because of the carbon freeze. “Sorry.” He muttered, “that was unkind. I can’t really see anything- or much. Guess I need more of those magic drops if you don’t mind. I’ll behave.” There was the lead he'd been so concerned about a moment ago. Idiot.

Leia shook her head, a slight smile tugging her lips. “You’ve always been impossible Flyboy.” The nickname was said with such affection that his heart fluttered. She’d always had an affect on him he couldn’t quite explain.


End file.
